Hugh Robertson in Yorkshire

This news article was published under
the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Yesterday Hugh Robertson visited Yorkshire on his first regional visit outside London

The Minister’s first visit was to the Ling Bob School in Halifax where he saw school children playing cricket as part of Chance to Shine, the Cricket Foundation’s nationwide campaign to inspire two million state-educated children to take up the sport by 2015.

“Like all competitive sport, cricket can teach pupils life skills such as team work, leadership, winning and losing and respect for others,” Mr Robertson said. ”Schools can use sport to appeal to pupils who may not otherwise be interested.”

Sheffield

Mr Robertson then travelled to Sheffield to meet some of the country’s top athletes and coaches at the English Institute of Sport (EIS). He met Team GB athletes from boxing, women’s volleyball and disability table tennis as well as some of the expert sport science and medical practitioners who support them.

“Without doubt the EIS is now considered an integral part of the sporting high performance system - providing the backbone of sport science and medical support upon which many of our sports and athletes have become reliant,” he said.

“Today I’ve had the opportunity to see how it works in practice and how seamlessly the EIS and NGB support staff work together - quite unique and an approach that is clearly working.”